Every year as we approach the longest day of the year, Chilworth Manor opens its gardens for 3 evenings of summer parties now known as the Picnics and Pimms summer jazz evenings. Being Swedish the owner Mia knows how important it is to celebrate the summer solstice in style. Back at home in Sweden this is one of the most important celebrations of the year. ( http://www.chilworthmanor.net )
So here in Surrey in the week of the longest day of the year, for 3 nights the manor gardens are filled with guests who bring their own picnics and dance the night away. A young female band comes all the way from Sweden to get the party started on the Thursday. As dusk falls the lawn fills up with dancing and the soft sweet grass is crushed underfoot releasing a delicious aroma that mingles with the fragrance of roses and honeysuckle.
I first came to the gardens when they were owned by Lady Heald. To help fund the huge expense of the large house and gardens she used to open the manor up for weddings and filming. (See the wedding reception scene of 'The Wedding Date' - Debra Messing. ) Being the National Chairwoman of the National Garden Scheme, we used to visit once a year for cream teas in her garden when the garden was open to the public. The Open Garden scheme continues and Chilworth continues to be open to the public in May.
The house has now had much needed money poured into it and the gardens are looking magnificent. A swimming pool and tennis courts have been added to the property and most recently a vineyard.
The site of Chilworth Manor was a monastery in the 11th Century and is so recorded in the Domesday book. A stew pond which supplied the monks with fish on Thursdays, still exists. John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim's Progress, who lived in Guildford, is said to have derived the idea of 'The Hill of Difficulty' from the path leading up to St Martha's church on the hill behind the property.
The monastery like so many others was destroyed in the reign of King Henry 8th.
Next week we will be enjoying the summer solstice. I hope you enjoy the long summer day and the short summer night. As for me, if I can organise myself and hurry up and buy a ticket, I will be dancing to old Abba anthems, kicking up my heels and smiling at the moon & stars above.
